


Threads and Needles

by Fanfic_Soup



Category: Baroque (Video Games)
Genre: Apocalypse, Blood, Dark, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert, Squick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6051466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanfic_Soup/pseuds/Fanfic_Soup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of instances in the reader's life as a part of "Baroque".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Together

**Author's Note:**

> (Wow, my first mini-fanfic on AO3!)  
> Please enjoy!

**May 12, 2032, Before “The Blaze”**   


Bright light shone through the window in the medical lab, providing you good illumination as you worked quickly and precisely to sew up a practice dummy. If you had to say which of your skills as a budding doctor were your favorite, you would definitely attest that suturing wounds was it. Carefully finishing up your stitches, you sat back and admired your handiwork.  
  
“Hey, have you seen Doctor Angelicus?” a familiar voice asked impatiently behind you. You rolled your eyes and ignored it in favor of further examining your dummy. Locating a “superficial” wound on the dummy’s arm, you set down your needle and dug out some gauze from the drawer beside you, unraveling a bit of it. You could practically feel the annoyance radiating off the boy behind you, and you smiled to yourself. “I’m talking to you, you know.”  
  
You finished wrapping the gauze and gave the dummy a loving pat before you finally turned to acknowledge Neophyte’s presence. If looks could kill, you were sure you would have died by now. Giving him a cheery smile, you finally spoke. “Oh, hello Neophyte! What can I do for you?”  
  
“You know darn well!” He practically shouted angrily. He clearly wasn’t amused with your teasing, but you couldn’t help it.  
  
“You don’t need to shout, Neophyte...” You faked a sad pout. “Can’t you just tell me what you need like a normal person?”  
  
“No, because you aren’t a normal person! You’re barely a decent nurse!” He shot back, crossing his arms.  
  
“...I’m not, am I?” You got an evil glint in your eye and you slowly turned, picking up your suturing needle.  
  
“Wh...what are you doing?” Neophyte became nervous at the sudden dark aura that surrounded you, backing away a bit.  
  
“I suppose I just need more practice.” You spoke in eerie calmness, turning back to the boy, brandishing the needle. He face paled and he backed away more.  
  
“You wouldn’t.”  
  
“You’ll help me, won’t you Neophyte?”  
  
“Get away from me!!”  
  
. . .  
  
Doctor Angelicus stood in the hall adjacent to the medical lab, speaking to Koriel 3, when a crash and shouting startled her. Neophyte came barreling down the hallway in front of her, followed by you, her prized student, cackling evilly. 3 watched with worry and moved to follow the two of you, but Angelicus placed her hand on his shoulder, sighing bemusedly. She knew you would never harm Neophyte, and similarly the boy wouldn’t harm you.  
  
At least, she hoped so.


	2. Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last memory before it all ended.

**May 12, 2032, Before "The Blaze"**   


You tore down the hallways, deftly avoiding various people as you chased Neophyte almost relentlessly, determined to catch him. As you ran down an empty hall after your target, you became distracted by a sight to your left; you noticed that Koriel 12 was attempting to go somewhere, more or less dragging his conjoined brother, 13, with him.  
  
You slowed your run, looking between a steadily distancing Neophyte and the twins, taking a moment before your heart won out over your brain. You carefully pocketed your suturing needle and straightened yourself out, then turned down the hallway, approaching the twins.  
  
“Hello, 12!” You called out when you got closer. He looked up at you, his blue-gray eyes mildly surprised and very embarrassed. You smiled warmly at him, eyeing the sleeping 13. “Where are you off to?”  
  
“Ah, just the library...” He muttered, shifting his grip on his brother a little. Frankly, you had no idea how he and 13 managed to “drag” the other around; it seemed to you that if you had a twin, they would be rather heavy.  
  
“I see. Want some help?” You had learned from watching Angelicus that it was better to ask the twins if they wanted help before jumping in; helping one twin walk with the other (sleeping) twin was a job that required great care.  
  
12 Hesitated, looking over his sleeping brother before nodding his head. “I would appreciate that.”  
  
Humming to yourself, you carefully wrapped your arms around 13’s upper torso, making sure not to touch the tender conjoined flesh. You lifted, huffing slightly from the weight. He wasn’t fat in the least, but you were around the same age, and unfortunately you were naturally a little weaker. Working together with 12 to carry him made it much easier, though, and the three of you set out for the library.  
  
“Hey, how come you guys didn’t just use a stretcher?” You asked curiously.  
  
“Didn’t want to.” 12 answered in his usual to-the-point manner. It might have seemed an insulting way to speak if it weren’t for the soft and genuine way he would speak. “Besides, everyone was pretty busy...”  
  
You nodded in understanding. “Still, you must have muscles of steel!”  
  
He laughed softly in response. You liked it when he and his brother smiled; they were definitely two of the strongest people you had ever met. You and 12 continued to chat about random topics on your way to the library, running into only a few people who seemed to either avoid the three of you, or express some form of concern that 12 would quickly brush off. When you arrived at the library, you re-adjusted your grip on 13 and pushed the door open, helping 12 carefully maneuver himself and his twin through it. Another quick walk and you reached your destination, the chair that had been specifically designated for the twins.  
  
After properly setting 13 into the chair, sitting next to 12, you flopped into an adjacent chair, your arms sore from the trip. 12 had picked up a book from the table in front of him and began reading it from a place-marker somewhere in the middle. You watched the twins in silence, listening to the steady, slow inhales and exhales of 13. You could tell your silent staring was beginning to make 12 uncomfortable, so you stood to go find a book of your own. “So...” you casually began. “I don’t usually see 13 awake. Bad timing?”  
  
“He isn’t awake often.” 12 spoke quietly enough that only you could hear him. “He’s not...” Hesitation. “...strong enough to stay awake very long...”  
  
“Oh.” You couldn’t keep the sadness from your voice. It made sense; their shared heart was likely already under a lot of strain, and the larger amount of it was probably on the older twin, 12’s, side. You plucked a random book from the shelf. “Well, he’s awfully cute when he’s sleeping~!” You teased gently, hoping to break the suddenly somber mood. You couldn’t help but giggle when it worked, seeing the blush and slight frown on 12’s face. He mumbled something and buried his face in his book, obviously trying to hide from you.  
  
Feeling triumphant, you plopped down into your seat only to have a sudden, sharp pain shoot up your leg. You froze, eyes wide. You couldn’t... could you?  
  
You looked down at your pocket and saw blood staining it. You inhaled sharply, mentally crying; you couldn’t believe how stupid you were!! 12 had noticed your sudden change in demeanor, looking worriedly at you. “Are you okay, f/n?” You shook your head fervently, putting the book down and walking stiffly over to 12, pointing at the pocket. He furrowed his brows, looking from it to you.  
  
“L-look and... tell me what... what happened...” You managed out stiffly. When he seemed incredibly hesitant to lift your skirt, you quickly added “I’ve got shorts on under it.” Finally he nodded and carefully put his book down, taking hold of the hem of your skirt and lifting it.  
  
You couldn’t see past the white layers he held up, but when you heard him utter “...oh.” You just knew it couldn’t be good. “You really... need to get that out.”  
  
You had done it. You had sat on your suturing needle.  
  
One trip for you alone back to the medical lab later, and you had a patch of gauze over the hole the needle had created, as well as a nice new lump on your head from where your teacher’s clipboard had connected with it.


	3. Rusty

**Unknown Time, After "The Blaze"**  
  
You hummed softly to yourself as you slowly wandered the halls of the Neuro Tower, your many, spider-like metallic legs supporting you off the ground and guiding you to an unknown destination. These days you never had any idea where you were going, or why... actually, at the moment you couldn’t particularly recall who you were. All you knew was that you had to fix all the poor, injured beings in the Tower. You paused in a crooked hallway when you heard the sound of something fighting, a smooth, clang of something metal striking something metal, and a soft crunch of flesh. Attracted to the sound, you made your way to the source, finding the perfect prize awaiting your efforts; an injured being. You completely ignored the coffin-like monster that was preparing to lunge at the being, one of your legs viciously and swiftly diving into it and skewering it straight through, making it screech. You didn’t care for that noise, and carelessly tossed it off the leg into a corner. The being didn’t move to run, and you lowered yourself to its level.  
  
“Oh, I’m so happy I found you... look, all hurt, how awful... If you’d like, I can fix you up. I’m quite good.” You folded your hands pleasantly, smiling at him. He didn’t reply, looking down at the large gash in his side with a lost expression, as though he didn’t understand the injury. You decided that meant yes, and took his hand, patting it gently. “Don’t you worry about a thing!” You caged your legs around the two of you, pulling a suturing needle from your bloody pocket and tying string to it. “Now then, be good, and you’ll feel much better, okay?”  
  
He didn’t struggle. He didn’t scream.  
  
After a few moments, true to your word you had patched him up. He looked much better now, and you patted the wound affectionately... but why? You slid the needle back into your pocket, partway into your leg so you wouldn’t lose it. You studied his face while he stared at the wound; did you know him? That couldn’t be possible... but then again, you did know everyone, didn’t you? They all needed help eventually. While deep in thought, you raised yourself back up on your legs. “Well, regardless, you’ll be fine I think. I’d recommend not being wounded, but then I wouldn’t get to patch you up, would I?” You laughed softly to yourself, and somehow you felt as though he was prompting you to speak more to him. “If you’d very well like, you can stay here for a while. Or with me. Both if you’d please. The others don’t care much for my presence, they stay away, but that’s fine I suppose. I always go to them eventually.” Pleasant. You liked him. He was a good conversationalist. Were you sure you didn’t know who he was?  
  
He was staring down a hallway behind you, his expression still unchanged. “Oh dear, were you going somewhere? I’m terribly sorry, prattling on like that.”  
  
He shook his head, and hoisted a large chunk of metal up onto his back. Without any gestures or words, he walked past you and into the dark hallway, his boots clanking on the metal flooring. You turned to watch him leave, and for some odd reason, you suddenly felt so small.  
  
“...please... be careful...” You called out softly to him. If he heard you, he didn’t react.  
  
You watched him until he turned a corner and vanished, and then continued to stare at the wall. Was there something you were supposed to recall...? “...oh yes! That’s right!” You smiled cheerily to yourself as you turned and resumed your wandering through the tower, your legs clattering against the rusted floors and walls.  
  
After all, if you weren’t diligent, more beings would die.


	4. Remember

**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

The halls seemed darker than usual, this much you knew; you’d spent so long wandering deeper and deeper into the Tower that you’d grown accustomed to a certain level of light, one that was currently absent.  
  
In that same token, you’d noticed there were significantly less patients in this area. Normally you’d have run into one or two, but... the only thing moving you’d seen so far had been a few groups of little “pain” beings, and you’d found they simply didn’t want your help, no matter how hard you’d tried to give it to them.  
  
Oh well. If they wanted to be sad, that was their own business, wasn’t it? Sorrow wasn’t something you could cure.  
  
“Dead.”  
  
You heard a voice from the darkness.  
  
“I’m dead.”  
  
It was soft, faint, and young. You turned curiously in the direction it had come from, though it took you a moment to re-position your metallic legs.  
  
“It hurts...”  
  
It sounded more distant now, and so you began traveling through the halls towards the voice. It was in pain, wasn’t it? You needed to help however you could. You paused when you entered a grated room you’d never noticed before, and you frowned to yourself. Where was the voice? You really wanted to see it...  
  
“...Who are you...?”  
  
It came from behind you, and you turned to face it; there was a child floating in the air, looking down at you with sorrowful, pained eyes.  
  
“Oh dear, are you injured, too?” You approached him, and reached out to grab his arm. “Though, floating is not helpful, you understand? I need you on the ground if you wish for help.” Your hand passed through him, and after a second attempt at grabbing his arm you instead folded your arms in your lap. “It isn’t particularly helpful if I am not able to touch you, either.”  
  
“You... what happened...” He floated a little closer.  
  
“I believe that’s a question I should be asking, isn’t it?” You circled around him, examining for the wound. “Where is it that you hurt?”  
  
The child reached out a small, translucent hand, and carefully placed it on the needle you kept in your leg.  
  
“You really... need to get that out.”  
  
The statement hit you, and you felt a flood of powerful emotions rush into you all at once; memories of practicing fixing a dummy, memories of playing with children, memories of sitting with this child, sitting with them...  
  
It hurt. It hurt so badly, you collapsed onto the floor, your legs having given out. You clasped your hands on either side of your head, pressing hard against it. “Stop, stop... I’m being torn apart, I’m being TORN APART.”  
  
“My chest feels so empty...” His voice echoed from nearby you, but everything was going red in your vision. They had been attached, and you had spent so much time with them. “It feels like it’s going to collapse.”  
  
You screamed. It was a loud, wrenching sound, echoing through the cold metallic halls. And then it was silent.  
  
You sat limply on the ground for a moment, before lifting your head and looking around the room; what were you doing here? You couldn’t remember. You looked down at your hands, confused to find they were covered in blood. Had you operated? You didn’t think you had, but it wouldn’t have been the first time you’d blanked out while working.  
  
Your head hurt, and you carefully pressed a hand to it, wincing when you felt something wet and fleshy beneath your fingers. When you drew your hand back, it was covered in even more blood. “I see. So then, it was me.” You carefully stood on your mechanical legs, wiping your blood-coated hands off on your apron.  
  
“I really must remember to stop operating on myself. So inefficient.”


	5. Reasons

**June 1, 2025, Before “The Blaze”**

You happily ran through the halls of the Order’s building, chasing after your errant ball. You so rarely got an actual chance to play, and you’d always find yourself fully invested in whatever game you’d chosen. Even if some considered it troublesome, the Koriel were often very lenient on the children playing in the halls; after all, so long as you didn’t run into any rooms, there wasn’t really a whole lot you could break.  
  
As you ran past an open door, you gave pause when your eye was caught by the sight of another child. You stopped running, and instead pressed yourself to the wall, peering around the corner curiously at the child. He looked to be around your age, and on closer inspection you noticed he was sitting next to another child that looked exactly like him. You stared in wonder at the two, and the one who was awake seemed to realize you were staring at them, because suddenly you found your eyes locked to his own.  
  
Without even thinking, you smiled widely and waved your hand at him. “Hi!”  
  
The Koriel that was in the room frowned, noticing your presence, and approached you. “Child, you should not wander into rooms like this.” He chided, leaning down a little to make eye contact with you.  
  
You looked down, folding your hands behind your back. “Sorry... I just wanted to say hi...”  
  
“That may be, but-“  
  
“...Hi.”  
  
The other child spoke, and you looked over at him. He was smiling sort of shyly, swinging his legs a little. You smiled happily again, and the Koriel member sighed, chuckling to himself. “I suppose it cannot be helped, can it?” He turned to you again, adopting a scolding look, but you could see the amusement in his eyes. “You will need to leave us be for now, but I’m certain you shall see your new friends again, okay?”  
  
“Okay!” You nodded excitedly, and waved exuberantly at the other child. “Goodbye! See you later!”  
  
He smiled and laughed a little, and you ran out of the room when the Koriel member gently shooed you away.  
  
A new friend! How exciting! You stared down the hallway, noticing your ball had come to a stop at the far end, and quickly ran to retrieve it.  
  
You wondered what kinds of games your new friend would like?

  


**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

  


You’d come across many strange things in the halls of the Neuro Tower, but none were as strange as this. For lack of better way to think of it, it appeared to be a humanoid of some sort, made from wood and metal, and hanging from the ceiling, suspended over a pit of nothingness and confined by bars.  
  
“My, what an odd place to live. Do you like it very much?” You addressed the being as you approached it.  
  
You could hear something shift around inside of it, and you placed one of your pointed mechanical legs through the bars and against it. “Are you feeling well?”  
  
“You... you’re... you’re here, as well?” They spoke, though you couldn’t tell how.  
  
“About as ‘here’ as ‘here’ is.” You smiled pleasantly to yourself.  
  
“How unfortunate... to think that you would become trapped here in the Tower with the rest of us. I am sorry for that.” It continued, not looking particularly sorry.  
  
“Trapped...?” You testingly pushed the creature, displeased when it didn’t move. It wasn’t alive. “I am not trapped. I’m here because I’d like to be.”  
  
“You wish to be here, wallowing in our sins?”  
  
“Well, I’ve no idea about sins and such, but...” You backed away, having completely lost interest in it. You had no time to talk to inanimate objects. “If I’m not vigilant, many poor creatures will die. And that simply won’t do.”  
  
“The only thing that can cure them is purification, child. You cannot help them.”  
  
You paused, looking down at the rust and blood that stained the floors. “Perhaps... not. But if it’s all that’s left, then I will continue to help them.” You left the creature behind, delving into the darkness.  
  
“After all, what good is being saved if you’ve got nothing else?”


	6. Distorted

**September 3, 2030, Before “The Blaze”**

You hummed cheerily to yourself as you sat on the cool pavement in the gardens, enjoying the mild weather; the layers to your uniform would get a little stuffy in the summer, so the cool breeze created a welcome respite. Of course, if anyone noticed you sitting on the ground like a child you’d definitely be scolded, but at the moment... you weren’t concerned. Life was too short to always worry.  
  
At least, that was the bravado you’d adopted, because the second you heard someone’s clothing shuffling down the path you panicked, jumping to your feet and fervently dusting your skirt to hide any evidence. Thankfully, the person who’d come around the corner wasn’t any of the Koriel, or even an adult; it was a little girl who looked to be around seven years old. Her dark brown hair framed her face cutely, he similarly-colored eyes widening at the sight of you. She was wearing a blue dress that looked a little like it had seen better days, but what had really struck you was her arms; they were long, and almost inhumanly thin, her fingers tapering off as though there was no meat on her little bones whatsoever. She uttered a small, surprised noise, and turned suddenly, as though to run away.  
  
“W-wait!!” You called out to her, reaching out a hand. She froze, and shyly turned to face you again, staring steadily down at the ground.  
  
“Sorry.” You smiled, approaching her in as friendly a manner as you could. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” You knelt down to her level.  
  
She looked up, her arms clasping behind her back nervously as though she could hide them from you, but said nothing.  
  
“Do you like the garden, too?” You offered up, trying to calm her down. She nodded, starting to smile a little, and you laughed softly. “I like how quiet it is here. Nobody bugs you when you’re here.” She looked a little self-conscious again, her thin fingers wringing nervously.  
  
It felt like your chest had a weight placed on it at the sight. She was distorted, and you knew that meant she was ostracized for it.  
  
Distortion... it was something that had begun slowly, like a disease with no cure. The Malkuth Order had begun researching everything they could about it, to stamp it out and prevent it from spreading, but even then... they’d gotten nowhere. Dr. Angelicus would often be up late into the night, working on her research. You’d tried to get her to sleep more, but she would just smile tiredly and tell you how close she was to curing the Distortion, and that she couldn’t give up just yet. You couldn’t help but feel like there was more to it than that, but... it wasn’t your place to wonder, was it?  
  
“Hey, do you want to play a game?” You suddenly asked the little girl. She looked really surprised, but her face lit up when she realized you wanted to play with her and she nodded excitedly.  
  
You stood up, clapping your hands together. “Okay! How does ‘Hide and Seek’ sound?”  
  
She nodded again, looking around the garden. “We can’t leave this part of the garden, though!” You made sure to clarify. With that, it was decided that she’d hide, and you’d seek. You covered your eyes, sitting on a nearby bench, and began counting out loud.  
  
~  
  
You weren’t sure how long you’d been playing with the little girl before you both decided to take a break, sitting once again on the pavement. She looked monumentally happier, not even worried about you seeing her arms anymore. “So...” You began speaking. “Do you come out here by yourself very often?” It wasn’t too unusual to see unattended children wandering around the complex, but a Distorted child...  
  
“No.” She answered, cheerfully admiring a pink flower. “Daddy would take me here. He’s busy now, though.” Despite her tone, you couldn’t help but feel the sadness behind her statement. She clearly missed spending time with her Dad. You could... relate to that. You’d never known your parents.  
  
“Oh? So your Dad works for the Order?” You bunched your skirt beneath your legs. He wasn’t a Koriel, you knew that much, so he was likely a researcher.  
  
“Yeah. Daddy does...” She was trying to think of the word, scrunching her face up cutely, and you giggled. “Daddy does the lab work.” She seemed to give up on the word she wanted.  
  
“The lab work...” You wondered if it was because of her Distortion that he wanted to work there. You’d never been into the labs, but anytime you spoke to Koriel 12 or 13 about it, they got this strange look in their eyes that unnerved you. “Does he know you’re-“  
  
Before you could finish your sentence, a man in a lab coat had come down the path, his gaze landing on the little girl and relief flooding his eyes. “There you are, sweetie!” He scooped the girl into his arms, sighing. “I thought I told you to stay in the Lab area!” He scolded her, and she looked sad.  
  
“I know. I’m sorry, Daddy. But, I played with someone!” She perked, smiling over at you.  
  
You smiled back, but her father gave you a strange look, almost like... he couldn’t trust you. He said nothing, but turned away, setting his daughter down and taking her hand. “You shouldn’t play with strangers.”  
  
The little girl looked back at you, a little sad, but waved goodbye to you as her father pulled her away, back towards the complex.  
  
You felt unsettled, but... it wasn’t your business, was it? You could only gently wave back to her, watching as she vanished behind the rows of hedges. 

  


**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

  


You’d been watching him for a while now. The tall, skinny, and lanky man was just standing in the middle of the room, talking to a box he held close to him. You didn’t find his behavior particularly alarming, but the box...  
  
You stared at it, and stared at it. No matter which way you framed it...  
  
“There’s nothing there.” You announced factually. He had finally noticed your presence.  
  
“What?” He looked at you with some confusion, clearly unsure what you were talking about.  
  
You approached him, and he backed away slightly, turning the box away from you. “This box. There’s nothing there.” You repeated yourself.  
  
“What are you saying? This is my daughter!” He sounded offended.  
  
You stopped walking, but leaned very close to him, whispering softly to him. “It’s playing _‘Hide and Seek’_.”  
  
“My... my daughter...?” He looked down at the box, brows furrowing.  
  
“She’s hiding.” You continued, slowly reaching out for the box.  
  
Almost as though snapping out of a spell, he moved away from you, jerking the box away from your hand. “You don’t know her. She would never hide from me. She’s in here, waiting to rise again!” He defended, giving you a harsh look.  
  
You straightened, never taking your gaze away from the box. You knew that box. That box was empty. The Distorted little girl would never be in that box, not for him. “You can’t find her.” Was all you said.  
  
“Look, why don’t you just go if you’ve got no reason to be here, huh?” He sounded... distant. Sad, like he recognized what you’d said was true. It left a strange taste in your mouth. You hated it.  
  
“No reason...” No, you certainly had a reason. Perhaps not one to be in this room any longer, but you were sure you had one.  
  
He had gone back to his box, though he seemed at more of a loss. You stared at the box, knowing it was empty. “My reason...” You repeated to yourself, turning and leaving the room from a different door. “That’s right. If I can’t help, then...” You felt unsettled.  
  
“...I’ve no reason.”


	7. Destructive

**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

You’d been casually traversing the rusted, dark halls of the Tower and humming quietly to yourself when a familiar scent struck your nostrils. You paused immediately, feeling one of your metallic legs slip a little in something wet, and you leaned closer to the floor to confirm your suspicion; it was definitely blood. You paused in that position for a moment, briefly wondering whether or not it was your own blood before deciding it simply couldn’t be.  
  
You followed the blood trail, resolved to assist whatever had been so badly damaged, only for the trail to go cold at an intersection of hallways. You turned partially to look behind you, ensuring the trail was still there, then just... stood still, at a loss. Could the patient have recovered on their own...?  
  
The thought made your head hurt a little. “No, that’s impossible.” You spoke aloud. “They need me.” The Neuro Tower groaned loudly as it suddenly shifted, almost as though it had been disturbed from a deep sleep, and the halls were engulfed in complete darkness. You stood firmly in place, accustomed to this particular movement; it had begun happening with a certain frequency, and there was nothing to be done about it. Once the movement had ceased and the Tower was still, you ventured forward, somewhat curious to see your new surroundings. “It’s not as though it can be helped anymore, anyways...” If everything had changed, you wouldn’t likely find the wounded for a while.  
  
As you entered a new room, you were pleasantly surprised to see consciousness orbs scattered throughout the room, pulsating gently like a heartbeat. You’d always found yourself strangely fascinated by the spheres, unable to resist approaching them, like a moth to a flame. You tentatively reached a hand towards the orb, placing it against the pulsing surface for the barest second before a sharp, unendurable pain shot through your head and you staggered backwards, your metallic legs unable to cope with the sudden shock of pain and collapsing beneath you.  
  
“Why do you touch them, child, when you know they will hurt?” An unidentified voice rang throughout the room, and you turned from your seated position on the floor to see an unusually tall and large elderly woman in a cloak staring at you.  
  
You stared down at your hand, almost as though it could give you the answer. When nothing came to mind, you looked back at her. She smiled bitterly. “There’s no need to answer. I know why it is you touch them.”  
  
You continued to remain seated, your tingling hand slowly lowering to your lap. “An answer... an answer to what, though?” You spoke to yourself, but the woman heard you.  
  
“Your mind... it’s in shambles, isn’t it?” She asked softly now, looking down at you. “Even you can’t understand your own words any longer. Is that correct?”  
  
You looked up at the glowing orb in front of you, your mind feeling oddly vacant. “Shambles...” You absently repeated words the woman said, as though saying them would create thoughts of some kind.  
  
“I’m talking to you, you know.” She spoke, but it didn’t sound like it was her own words.  
  
Those words... why couldn’t you grasp them? You wanted those words to be yours. They had been at some point, hadn’t they? They’d been words that were meant for you. But who had sent them?  
  
The woman was quiet for a moment, simply observing you as you sat on the floor in a stupor. “They’re looking for you, you know.” She finished, looking almost pained. “Give this poor old woman a break. At least try to remember something.”  
  
You stared at her with wide eyes as you somewhat clumsily stood yourself up again. She looked expectantly at you, and you finally spoke. “...Do you need assistance? If so, I can help you.”  
  
She looked disappointed, shaking her head slowly. “No, child. What is wrong with the likes of us... it can’t be helped. Not yet.”  
  
“I see.” You folded your hands in your lap, turning away from her. “If you are uninjured, then I shall leave.” You almost reached out to touch the orb again, but when you pulled your hand away you couldn’t help but smile a little proudly to yourself. Once was certainly enough.  
  
She watched as you left the room, a sad look on her face. “With a Baroque like that... he has no other choices...” When you were out of sight, she looked over at the Consciousness Orb you had touched. “Such a cruel gift I’ve been bestowed with.”


	8. Distant

**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

“Crap. I’ve lost them...”  
  
You heard a voice between the wheezy screeching and exhaling of the creature you were currently operating on. It had begun to thrash about earlier, and you utilized your legs to hold it still, pinning it in place by running the sharp metal appendages through it and trapping it against the ground. It was rude of patients to struggle so much, especially considering how gently you were fixing it up.  
  
Frankly, it looked as though it had been struck with a sword multiple times.  
  
The lost were of no concern to you, and you ignored the voice. The procedure was nearly done, anyways.  
  
“Hey, you seen a group go by here?” The voice called out, closer to you. You continued to ignore it for a few more seconds, focusing on finishing up the stitch-work you were certain needed to be done, before turning to the sound.  
  
“A group of what?” You asked.  
  
The voice belonged to a bald man in white robes, with a single tuft of feathers leaking from his shoulder and an upside-down face on his stomach, its mouth opened as though it were horrified, but its eyes closed. “Other Order members.” He answered, seemingly assessing you as well. “Hey, what you’re wearing... it’s kinda familiar.”  
  
You paused, looking down at your own clothing. Normally white and red, it was fairly badly bloodstained as proof of your hard work saving the lives of those who wandered the Tower. The man continued. “You’re in the Order, too?”  
  
“The Order of what?” You were quickly losing interest in this conversation; you couldn’t understand what he was talking about, and your current patient had begun struggling again, making it difficult to pay attention to both.  
  
The man said nothing, just making an interested noise. “Did you see the Littles anywhere?”  
  
Littles, littles... that word didn’t mean anything to you, you decided. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” You curtly answered, moving one leg from the creatures arm and driving it through the center of its torso, fed up with its struggling. You could feel its warm flesh crunch around the metal, before it faded away into nothing.  
  
Despite your dismissive attitude, the man continued to talk. “The little flying things. Full of pain, y’know?”  
  
Oh. “The little ‘pain’ beings.” You stated, standing fully and wiping the blood from your hands onto your skirt. “They can’t be helped.”  
  
“Ha, that’s right. They can’t.” The man looked strangely happy at that.  
  
“So... why is it you look for them?” You continued. It seemed strange, to bother looking for something you couldn’t fix.  
  
“I’ve wondered that, myself. But hey, whatever the Archangel says is law, right?” He replied, sounding nonchalant.  
  
Again, he had begun saying things you could only vaguely understand. “Archangel...” The word felt familiar somehow. Like a grand hall, like pure white that had been stained with blood red... It made no sense. You began leaving the room, ignoring the presence of the man. He was fine. He wasn’t hurt, therefore there was no point in you being there.  
  
“Hey, if you see any of the others, point me in the right direction.” He called after you.  
  
You paused momentarily, and then exited the room.  
  
“...I don’t believe we shall ever meet again.”


	9. Saviour

**February 21, 2031, Before "The Blaze"**

"Hurry, F/n. We'll be late." Dr. Angelicus was waiting by the door to the Medical Ward, watching you quickly clean up your work station and swap your apron for a cleaner one, amusement in her eyes. "Weren't you the one who wanted to see him?"  
  
"I-I know, I know! I'm hurrying!" You were almost in full panic mode. You'd lost track of the time, and if Dr. Angelicus hadn't reminded you what time it was you surely would have missed the 'ceremony' again.  
  
Really, it wasn't a ceremony by any means. Rather, once every few years the Archangel would come to the Complex to directly receive an overview of the Facility's procedures, and once it was discovered that you could see him leaving the Complex through the grand hall it had become a bit of a tradition at the Complex to go see him. You had been told you were too young before, and once you'd gotten old enough you had promptly forgotten to go, and regretted it since. This time, though, you wouldn't miss him. You wanted to see the man that everyone spoke so highly of.  
  
As you hurried down the upper halls with Dr. Angelicus, you couldn't help but bombard her with questions. What was he like? What did he look like? Was he tall, short? What sort of clothes did he wear? She simply laughed, answering them as best she could.  
  
He was a serious person. You'd see soon enough. Relatively tall. Nicely dressed.  
  
You both managed to squeeze in next to each other in the packed upper halls, and you immediately leaned over the white banister to look down at the long, red carpet of the grand hall below. It was lined with guards, and you couldn't help but feel a little too anxious. The way Neophyte and Angelicus spoke of him, he was surely someone amazing.  
  
When the buzz of the crowd died down, Dr. Angelicus gently nudged you, gesturing her head to the entrance of the hall. It had slowly opened, and a small escort of guards exited first, each wearing the standard white Malkuth robes and small, false Wings on their backs. Then, you finally caught a glimpse of him.  
  
He had stepped out, a serious look on his face as Angelicus had mentioned. His white and red robes flowed in the slight breeze that drifted through the hall, the same causing his shorter blonde hair to sway slightly over his vibrant red eyes. But what had really caught your eyes were his wings, so large and beautiful. You'd never seen Wings like that before, except in paintings of angels.  
  
You hadn't realized you'd been holding your breath until you heard Angelicus whisper softly to you. "That, is the Archangel."  
  
"...He's beautiful..." Was all you could manage.

  


**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

  


Although you were accustomed to being completely unclear as to where you were in the Tower, this time you felt particularly lost; you had been attempting to track down whatever was leaving these 'phantom' bloodstains that just seemed to stop abruptly, but every time you found the end of a trail the Tower would shift, and you'd find yourself in a different area. By the time you'd completely lost track of the bloodstains, you were in a dark, empty area of the Tower, and the only noise you could hear was the sound of your own legs clicking noisily against the metal flooring.  
  
While it wasn't unusual to be in a relatively quiet area, you'd never been anywhere where you didn't see at least one other Being. Here, though... it was empty. Cold, devoid of life, like there was something wrong with this place.  
  
You debated hunting throughout it, thinking maybe whatever normally lived here was badly injured and couldn't come to greet you, when a voice startled you.  
  
"What do you think you're doing here?"  
  
It was clearly a male voice, but you couldn't determine the direction it had come from. You slowly walked through the halls, looking around in confusion. Perhaps you'd just been hearing things?  
  
"...If you're so set on wandering around here, at the very least make yourself useful. Come here." It was a command, not a request. Whoever this was, you felt oddly compelled to obey him, and you followed the voice to a massive room bathed in almost complete darkness. You walked out onto a small metal platform, your eyes instinctively stuck on the giant, sharp Consciousness Orb in front of you.  
  
"You... you're a nurse, aren't you?" You finally looked up at the owner of the voice, seeing a young blonde man in white and red staring down at you, his large, beautifully white wings splayed out beneath him. At first you'd thought he was lying down on top of the metallic, flesh-colored Orb, but once your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting you noticed the massive spike skewered through him, originating from the Orb itself. He sighed, sounding a little defeated. "Despite that, I doubt you'd be able to fix something like this."  
  
You remained silent, just observing him. It certainly looked like the spike hurt; you couldn't really see it properly from your current position, and as such decided to move even closer, your legs dangerously balancing you close to the edge of the platform. If you misstepped, you'd be falling a long time.  
  
"Frankly, I'm curious to know how you even got here. I was under the impression it was difficult." He continued speaking, giving you the feeling he was used to speaking to people who wouldn't say anything. "Although if the only ones who show up won't speak to me, that's even worse than being alone." He sounded bitter.  
  
You tentatively reached a leg out, placing it against the side of the fleshy-colored Orb. It didn't hurt, and if you dug your foot in a little it gave way a bit and actually held fairly well. If you could get up there...  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" He snapped, watching you as you slowly, carefully made your way up the Orb, with little to no concern for falling. Once you were safely atop and standing by his legs, you leaned around the spike and offered him a pleasant smile.  
  
"I'm helping you, of course."  
  
"Helping- Did I not just tell you there isn't anything you can do?" He definitely sounded angry now, but you were already ignoring him again, closely scrutinizing his wound instead. It was massive, as expected; the spike had run through the majority of his stomach area, leaving only about an inch of actual flesh left on either side of it to prevent him from splitting in half. All around the spike, the wound had become black and almost webbed, as though his flesh had healed itself to the spike to prevent any (further) hemorrhaging. That would certainly make removal difficult.  
  
"Really, you're just like him. There's no point in telling you what to do, is there?" It was defeat you heard in his voice, and he sounded infinitely unhappy about it.  
  
You looked up at the tip of the spike, folding your hands in your lap. "Of course, a patient can't tell a Nurse what to do."  
  
"A patient..." You looked back at him, and his red eyes had gone a little glassy. He was looking past you into the darkness. "You must be rather comfortable here."  
  
You tried to re-focus on your work, but the look on his face made it difficult for you to look away. "I am." You answered. "Why wouldn't I be? I can help here."  
  
His eyes became sharp again, and he looked directly at you. "You don't want to go back to the way things were before?" Before you could even think about what that meant, he sighed, his eyes closing. "I don't know why I'm even asking you. You won't know."  
  
"I won't know...?" You frowned to yourself. All these 'talking' Beings you'd met had been saying things like that to you. It was becoming a little frustrating.  
  
"Look, if you aren't doing anything up here, would you get down? It's uncomfortable." He stated, giving you a bland look.  
  
Ah, that was right. You were going to try and fix this problem. You moved cautiously around the Orb's surface so you were standing at the man's side, and got closer to the scarred tissue. It was definitely sealed pretty well to the spike, and you doubted you'd be able to lift him high enough to take him off the spike. "Perhaps cutting it..." You hummed to yourself, reaching out to touch his flesh.  
  
Just before your fingers could connect with the black, patchy skin your hand froze, and you were suddenly overcome with an odd guilt. You almost felt like you needed permission to touch this strange, angel-winged man. You turned your head, looking back at his face. He wasn't watching your hand; rather, he was staring at your face, studying it with a blank (if mildly pained) expression.  
  
"May I... touch you?" You asked, unsure how to say the question properly. You'd never felt the need to ask permission before; Patients were patients. If they were injured, you'd fix them, regardless of their opinion.  
  
He stared for another moment before turning away from you and closing his eyes. "Do what you'd like. It can't possibly hurt more than this."  
  
Just like that,your hand unfroze, and you gently placed it on the damaged flesh, running your fingers over the cracked ridges of black tissue and sickly grey flesh that had begun to mirror the color of the Orb's spike so well. You could feel it gently pulsate beneath your fingers, and you became lost in the sensations, your mind drifting.  
  
Touching this flesh... no, his flesh... you couldn't help but feel like it was something special. A privilege. Something no other being had been given the chance to do, and the thought nagged at you. He didn't seem any different from any other patients you'd helped, so why did it bother you so much to touch him?  
  
Suddenly your hand was stilled, and when you looked down you could see a red-gloved hand had grabbed your wrist. You looked up at him, mildly confused by his action, and you could see he looked discomfited. "If your idea of helping is to do things like that, I'd rather not have your help at all."  
  
You didn't know what to say. Normally, you would have begun surgery, cutting the spike both below and above so he could be removed from it, and then setting to work on the large gap that would likely be left over in his flesh; However, you got the strangest impression that he **shouldn't** be removed from it. That he belonged there, looking gracefully wounded, his wings drooping so beautifully...  
  
You slowly pulled your hand away, returning it to your side, the realization slowly hitting you. "I... cannot fix you."  
  
"I was already aware of that." Despite the sardonic way he said it, you couldn't help but notice he sounded almost... disappointed, too.  
  
You carefully dismounted the orb, and once you were safely standing on the platform again you turned to face him. "You're... beautiful, like that. Did you know that?"  
  
You hadn't intended what you'd said to be insulting. It was just a statement of fact. At first you could see a flash of fire and rage through his red eyes, but it quickly dulled out, and he turned his gaze away from you and back to the ceiling. "There isn't any meaning to you being here. In the end, you'll be just like all the others."  
  
"Just like the others?" You stared at your hands. What had happened to the others..? The strange thought made you uncomfortable.  
  
"Go find him." He sighed, sounding tired. "I know what he's been doing. Despite everything, I..." He paused, searching for words. "I'm very tired. An end would be a nice respite."  
  
Although you didn't know what he meant by those words, you felt compelled to obey them and turned, leaving the room without another word.  
  
_Go find him._


	10. Sorrow

**May 13, 2032, Before “The Blaze”**

“...Dr. Angelicus...?” You stood in the entryway of the darkened room, the lamplight at Angelicus’ desk only illuminating the area around her worktable. When she didn’t reply, you approached her cautiously.  
  
“Dr. Angelicus...” You repeated.  
  
“Hm? Yes, F/n?” She didn’t even turn to look at you, staring intensely at the papers spread across her desk. She looked so... hollow like that, as though she felt absolutely nothing at all.  
  
“... I... Do you know...” You weren’t sure how to word what you wanted to say, exactly.  
  
You hadn’t seen Koriel 12 or 13 since the library incident, and it was starting to worry you. You had tried to find the other Koriel to ask them about it, but... you couldn’t find any of them, either. The entire complex felt strangely charged, as though something was going to happen. Even the sky had changed, though you couldn’t quite describe how; it just felt wrong.  
  
“I’m sorry, F/n, but if you don’t know what you’d like to ask, could you please leave?” Angelicus asked in such an oddly cold tone that it took you by surprise, and you stepped back. “I’d like to be alone.”  
  
Alone... You said nothing, and turned away, walking out of her workroom and closing the door behind you. As you stood in the silent, empty hallway, you felt your eyes sting a little.  
  
You didn't want to be alone. 

  


**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

  


You hummed gently to yourself as you stitched up a tear in your skirt, seated on the ground in a nicely lit room. You weren’t entirely sure when you’d torn it, but it wouldn’t look very professional to walk around with it hanging loosely like that. Besides, the thought of stitching something made you feel good. Not quite ‘happy’, but not bad.  
  
“...F/n...” A mournful voice called out.  
  
“I’m afraid I don’t know who that is.” You cheerfully replied, finishing off a stitch.  
  
There was silence, but movement caught your eye. When you looked up, the being that had spoken stood in front of you, staring down with an expression of great regret. It was tall, taller than any you’d met previously, with a long blue robe, incredibly long arms, and a tall golden hat. Two bird-like creatures sat on either shoulder, and its face was pure white, like a doll. “To think you’d be trapped here, too... my regrets know no end...”  
  
“Trapped here?” Those words sounded strangely familiar, as though you’d already heard them before. “I don’t believe I am. If I’m not here, who would help those in need?”  
  
The being reached a hand out towards you, offering to help you stand. You accepted it, unsure of the intent behind the action, and stood carefully. “Do you need help?” You asked curiously. It didn’t look injured.  
  
“You cannot help, I’m afraid.” It responded, sounding regretful. It didn’t release your hand after helping you up, you noted, but did nothing to remove it.  
  
Normally, you would have dismissed any being that wasn’t hurt, but for some reason you couldn’t bring yourself to do the same to this one. It stood there, clutching your hand as though the thought of letting go would hurt it, and it confused you. You didn’t know how to react. “I am sorry, you must understand...” It spoke, a certain level of desperation in its voice. “Had I even thought about what could have happened... I would never have...”  
  
“But, nothing has happened to me. You see?” You gestured with your free hand, smiling. “I’m perfectly healthy, and able to care for the others.”  
  
“Nothing...” It still showed no emotion on its face, but you could hear in its voice that it was thinking. It then reached out its other hand, gently pressing it to the top of your head. “And yet you haven’t got anything but your Baroque... I should have protected you.”  
  
The hand atop your head felt familiar. You allowed your eyes to close, and immediately regretted it. The memories pulsed, like a sickly heart, each beat flooding your mind with pain. A smiling woman, placing her hand on your head; a dummy lying in front of you, your fingers deftly stitching it; fear washing away into comfort as she held you close, chasing it away; a cold look, and then bright, bright burning red. It hurt, and you couldn’t stop the screeching that left your throat as you thrashed away from the tall being.  
  
You stood a distance away from it now, staring in horror. Pain. It hurt so badly, all you could feel was pain, and suddenly it felt as though you could understand the little beings that flew throughout the Tower, crying out desperately.  
  
You wanted to die.  
  
“Please, don’t...!” The being had reached out for you again, but you dodged away this time, shaking your head violently.  
  
“No!! No, I can’t... I can’t...!!” You didn’t fully understand your rejection yourself, but some part of you desperately wanted to run. You wanted to leave what you’d seen behind, so far that you’d never think of it again.  
  
And so you did.


	11. Threads

**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

When you’d finally stopped running, you had no concept of where you were; It didn’t matter, all that mattered was hiding. You curled up into a corner of the room you’d finally stopped in, tenting your legs around you as though to shield you from your own thoughts.  
  
It just didn’t make sense. How could you remember those things? They couldn’t be real, only this was. The Tower, the patients, your work... there was nothing else. Then why... why had you seen those things? Your face was buried in your lap, but you could still see the blurry outlines of various meta-beings wandering through the room. Few paused to look at you, but most ignored you, almost as though you weren’t worth the effort. It helped, in an odd way; it meant you belonged here. The thought had begun to slowly re-assure you when something else had blocked your vision.  
  
“You’re...” The voice spoke from somewhere in front of you, sounding rather close.  
  
You looked up from your lap, something in the voice’s quiet nature making you want to see its owner. A boy was kneeling in front of you, his right eye obscured by bandages, and sharp, painful looking spikes sticking out from his right shoulder and all the way down his left leg. Unlike the others you’d seen, he wore black and blue.  
  
“...You’re crying...” He seemed like he was having trouble thinking of what to say, but the look on his face told you everything you needed to know.  
  
There was anger, worry, sadness, happiness... it was almost as though he couldn’t decide what he felt. You couldn’t imagine why.  
  
“Am I...?” You reached your hand up to your face, brushing it against a wet cheek. “I am.” You confirmed dazedly to yourself.  
  
“That’s...” He clenched his hands into fists, seeming to settle on anger. He stared down at the floor. “I’ll... I’ll never forgive her.”  
  
“Whom?” You couldn’t help but stare at him. He looked oddly familiar, but you were sure you’d remember him had you seen him before. It would be impossible to forget a being who looked like that.  
  
“She did this to you, right? She screwed it all up!!” He looked back up at you, his eye blazing with rage. “And now... now I can’t even fix this...” He reached a hand out, tentatively placing it on one of your metallic legs. The sensation was so oddly gentle that it filled you with a strange trepidation, yet... you couldn't bring yourself to move the leg away. You had felt the same thing when the tall being had held your hand.  
  
"...They said that, too..." You realized slowly, rolling his words around in your head. The tall being had said you needed to be fixed, too. "Is it... is it true, then...?"  
  
"They?" The boy questioned. "Who's 'they'?"  
  
"The tall one... the..." You pressed a hand to your head. Thinking about the other being hurt. "The blue one." You finished, intent on no longer speaking about it.  
  
"The blue..." His eye narrowed and he suddenly looked enraged. "Angelicus!! Where did you see her?!?" The hand that had previously been softly pressed to your leg clenched around it, his fingers curling over the sharp edge in such a harsh manner that it pierced his skin, blood trickling down your leg.  
  
You didn't know what he was talking about, but you reached out and took his hand in one of your own, carefully prying the fingers loose and turning his palm upwards to look at the damage. "You must be careful... hurting yourself like this, it's..." Your eyes widened a little.  
  
_You'd said that before, hadn't you...?_

  


**March 3, 2032, Before “The Blaze”**

  


"Honestly, Neophyte, you're lucky to be friends with me." You stated very casually, despite the fact that there were small spatters of blood on the marbled floor in front of you. You knelt in front of the navy-haired boy, carefully dabbing antiseptic on a cut across his knee and cleaning off the blood from his leg.  
  
"You make it sound like I'd be dead or something." He huffed, clearly unhappy with the treatment.  
  
"You might be. You need to start coming to the Medical Ward when you get hurt." You stated, frowning as you unwrapped and unrolled some gauze from your skirt pocket. Neophyte was so stubborn, he would refuse to go to the Medical Ward when hurt, no matter how bad the injury was.  
  
"Psh, sure. And maybe I can get a lolli-OWW!!" Before he could finish his sarcastic remark, you'd slapped the cut on his leg, glaring at him.  
  
"Seriously!! What if you get an infection or something? Are you just gonna let your limbs fall off?" You began wrapping the wound, ignoring his half-hearted complaints. Once you'd finished, however, he spoke again as you clipped the bandages in place.  
  
"...It isn't so bad, F/n..." He sounded quiet, almost... repentant? You looked up at him, still unable to wipe the worried frown from your face.  
  
"I know that, but... hurting yourself like this, it's..." You trailed off, worried about your wording. "...It's scary for me too, you know? You're my best friend." You finished softly, looking into his pale blue eyes.  
  
They softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips. "Don't worry, F/n. I... I won't leave you, okay?" Your heart filled with warmth at the words, and you couldn't help but smile back.  
  
You took his hand in your own. "Thank you..."

  


**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

  


You held his hand gently, your thumb running over the palm and wiping the blood across it. "Thank you..." You distantly repeated, staring past Neophyte.  
  
His fingers curled around your hand, holding it tightly. "F/n, where did you see Angelicus?" He continued to press, though sounding slightly less angry.  
  
You slowly looked down at both of your hands, somewhat entranced by the sight of the red rivulets of liquid that had begun spiraling down both your arms from the wound. "I..." You failed to continue your sentence, and this time you could definitely feel the tears filling your eyes. "I'm... I'm broken, right...?"  
  
You didn't know why, but you just couldn't remember everything. You wanted to remember, wanted it so badly you could almost taste it, but it was just like the Consciousness Orbs; every time you tried, you were only met with pain. You had no worth. No reason to exist. You couldn't help others if you couldn't even help yourself, and if you weren't a nurse, you were... "Nothing... I'm nothing."  
  
Neophyte looked alarmed as you stared at him with a bewildered expression and tears trailing down your face. "No, you're not nothing! Please, don't...!" He was almost panicking now, trying to find something, anything to say to you.  
  
You felt so lost, so empty... why exist? The thought of 'not existing' was suddenly starting to feel like a welcome respite from simply not knowing why you were here. The Tower felt like it was swirling. All you could see was the blood trickling down your arm, glistening in the scant light.  
  
And suddenly everything snapped back into focus when you saw a large gash had appeared on the boy's arm. You leaned forward, taking his arm into your hands. "Oh, dear... this needs to be fixed." You stated, your mind quickly running over the medical procedure.  
  
The patient said nothing in return, just letting you carefully and concisely patch up the large wound on his arm while he watched with sad eyes.  
  
You didn't notice the fresh blood that coated one of the large spikes on his leg.  
  
As you finished your stitch-work, you smiled proudly, feeling good about the quality of your work. "There you go! Now then, I would like to ask that you be more careful in the future, okay?" You stood up, feeling strangely wobbly but you brushed it off.  
  
The patient stood too, gently rubbing his arm. You noticed his hand was coated in blood, too, but before you could reach out to examine it, he stepped away. You opened your mouth to scold him for the action, but he spoke first.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm going to fix things. I'm going to find Angelicus." He stared at you with such determination that you couldn't think of anything to say to him, even as he turned away and left you all alone in the room.  
  
You looked down at your own blood coated hand and arm, staring intently at it. "Fix things... but wasn't that my job?"  
  
_Go find him._  
  
It echoed in your mind, like a shout down a long hallway, chasing something. Who were you even meant to find?  
  
Before you realized it, your legs had begun carrying you off into the Tower, almost as though they knew where it was you needed to go. You didn't resist. If 'finding him' was the only way you could fix things, then that was all you wanted.


	12. Needles

**Unknown Time, After “The Blaze”**

You didn't need to go far to find him. You were drawn, like a moth to a flame, and as selfish as it sounded you thought that maybe he felt the same. Maybe he had been looking for you the whole time, too.  
  
He stood in the rusty, well-lit room, his back facing you, only turning once he heard you enter. Though his face was blank, his clear blue eyes were searching, looking into your own e/c eyes. He held a sword in his right hand, and a large gun was strapped to his back, and although he looked a little worse for the wear, he didn't need to be fixed up.  
  
You approached him slowly, tentatively reaching out but deciding against it, retracting your hand. After a short silence, you finally spoke. "...I'm here now."  
  
He did nothing, but you felt sadness coming from him. His expression softened considerably, and you felt urged to speak.  
  
"I... I do not know why, myself, but... I'm always told that I need to find you. That it is important." You folded your hands in your lap. "There is... so much that I can't remember. At least, that I think I can't remember. I don't know anymore." Despite your pause, he waited, offering no response in return to your statements.  
  
You wrung your hands nervously, continuing. "I just want to help others. I don't want to see anyone hurt. Is that... really such a bad thing to want? Can't I want that?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"But whenever I do so, I feel like I'm doing it wrong. Like it's always the incorrect way to help them. They aren't happy. Why... why aren't they happy?" You couldn't help the desperation that leaked into your voice. "Can I even really say I've helped anything when nothing is happy, in the end?"  
  
You got closer to him, trying to remember his face. Had you seen him somewhere before? "Do you even want my help? Can I even help you...?"  
  
He reached out now that you were significantly closer, and took hold of your hand, separating it from your other hand. A little surprised by the motion, you didn't react at first when you felt him place something round and somewhat cool into your palm. When you looked down at it, you saw it glowing gently, pulling you into it like a whirlpool.  
  
And just like a whirlpool, you felt like you were drowning. You could see it all. Two boys, joined by one heart. You could see yourself, smiling happily, talking to them. You saw the sky turn red, and the heartbeat becoming unsteady, passing over to only one boy rather than both. The earth shook that day, and everything went black.  
  
When you finally surfaced from your own mind for air, you could remember it.  
  
You could finally remember it.  
  
Tears fell from your face, and you couldn't keep the smile from blossoming on your face, clutching the Sephirah close to your chest. You looked up at him, recognizing him for the first time as Koriel Thirteen.  
  
"You're... oh God, I'm so..." You didn't even know what emotion you felt the most of; there was fear, regret, happiness, sorrow... you couldn't form your feelings into words, but Thirteen just smiled softly and sadly at you, like he understood.  
  
"We're all trapped here, aren't we? None of us..." You quickly went over all of those you met in your mind, finally able to put names to faces. "None of us can change this... except for you." You gently cupped the Sephirah, carefully handing it back to him. "I want to help you, Thirteen. I want to help, no matter what it takes."  
  
You were covered in blood, most of it not your own, and you looked physically horrifying, you were certain of it. But when he accepted his Sephirah back and smiled at you like that, you felt like you were **you** again. You were the girl that used to play with him and his brother, the girl that had grown so close to them that nothing could separate you, not even the Distortion.  
  
He raised his sword, and you closed your eyes, smiling.  
  
You wanted to help him. You wanted the world to finally heal.  
  
You wanted to be pure.  
  
_"Thank you, Thirteen."_

  


**~~~**

  


He knelt down, gently picking up the softly glowing Orb from the ground, cradling it against himself. Even though he had killed you, you weren't dead. In this state, your purest thoughts and ideas could help him. You could help others, free from the Baroque that had consumed and twisted you.  
  
And eventually, you could become one with the Absolute God, just like the others, just like he himself would be. And together...  
  
He stood, re-adjusting the Angelic Rifle on his back and heading further into the Tower.  
  
**Together, you would all heal this ailing world.**


End file.
